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Flying Dutchman
Flying Dutchman was the Seventh Episode of the Third Season of the Land of the Lost. Summary A ghostly ship wrecks in the Land of the Lost that might be a way for the Marshalls to escape. Plot Cha-Ka is wandering through the misty area near Malak's home, ineptly playing a crudely-fashioned woodwind instrument resembling an alto-recorder, when he discovers a "magic eye" (an old seaman's telescope). He is confronted by Malak, who demands the telescope. Cha-Ka flees with the telescope and escapes by provoking Grumpy into charging at Malak. Cha-Ka then excitedly returns to the Marshalls, just as Jack is demonstrating the use of a bola. Cha-Ka shows them the telescope he found, which Jack recognizes it as a seaman's scope and probably over 100 years old. Excited at the prospect of finding another human being, possibly with a ship that they might use to escape the Land of the Lost, the Marshalls decide to investigate. Returning to the spot where Cha-Ka found the telescope, they also find a ship's sextant. Investigating further upstream, they see an old wooden sailing vessel which Jack identifies as a barque. As they approach, they hear various men's voices, bellowing commands appropriate to the ship of the period, such as "All hands to your station!" and "Anchor aweigh!" Leaving Holly and Cha-Ka behind, Jack and Will board the ship to find whoever's on board. They are almost immediately captured as a net drops on them. The ship's captain emerges, accusing Jack and Will of being in league with Malak, who, in addition to his telescope and sextant, had stolen his compass, navigational charts, ship's log and personal diary. Persuaded of their innocence as Holly and Cha-Ka board the ship, the Captain apologizes to Jack and Will and introduces himself as Ruben Van de Meer. He is immediately struck by Holly's resemblance to his daughter Wilhelmina. The Captain assures them that he is alone on the ship, and attempts to dismiss the voices heard by the Marshalls as hallucinations. A bargain is struck between the Marshalls and Van de Meer. If they can get his equipment back from Malak and assist him in making the ship ready to sail, he will allow them to leave with him when his ship sails out of the Land of the Lost. Even as Jack and Will leave to recover Captain Van de Meer's belongings from Malak, Malak surreptitiously boards the ship and finds Cha-Ka alone. Malak then threatens Cha-Ka, ordering him to return the telescope and Cha-Ka complies. With the telescope and a keg of gunpowder he found (without knowing what it is), Malak then returns home to find Jack and Will gathering up Van de Meer's property. They offer to help Malak escape with them for the return of Van de Meer's equipment, but Malak prefers to remain where he is. As Jack and Will attempt to leave with Van de Meer's belongings, Malak blocks their escape, threatening them with his sword. However, Malak is then grabbed from behind by the Sleestak and cries out to Jack and Will for help, who use torches to force the Sleestaks' retreat. Realizing that with no firewood, the Sleestaks will be kept out only as long as the torch stays lit, Malak and the Marshalls reach an agreement. If Malak allows Jack and Will to leave with the captain's equipment, they will show him a way to keep the Sleestak at bay. Jack fulfills his end of the bargain by showing Malak how to use the gunpowder to fire the ship's cannon which he had also stolen from Van de Meer's ship. The Sleestaks recoil from the bright discharge. Malak honors his end of the bargain, and Jack and Will begin to make their way back to Van de Meer's ship with the Captain's equipment. The Sleestak, having lost interest in Malak, are following close behind. Jack delays the Sleestak's pursuit with his bola. Back on board the ship, Captain Van de Meer sends Jack, Will and Cha-Ka to gather citrus fruit to prevent scurvy. While gathering the fruit, Jack discovers Van de Meer's diary in Will's back pocket. In reading the diary, Jack learns that the ghostly ship is actually the Flying Dutchman (a legendary flying ghost ship that is cursed never to make port and must sail the oceans forever) and Van de Meer is sentenced to serve solitary duty aboard the ship "until the end of time." Aboard the ship, Holly has completed repairing the sail, and Van de Meer suggests she take a nap and presents her with a necklace as a gift after giving her a sedative to help her sleep. Meanwhile, Jack, Will and Cha-Ka again hear the ghostly voices, indicating that the ship is preparing to set sail. Jack quickly realizes that Van de Meer intends to leave with just Holly, the lack of water being no impediment since the Dutchman flies. Jack boards the ship demanding Holly's return. As Jack leaves the ship with Holly, Van de Meer apologizes for his actions, motivated by loneliness. With Holly safely off the ship, Van de Meer yells out one last good-bye to the Marshalls, then softly adds, "Good-bye, my sweet Holly." The four then watch as the Dutchman takes to the air and sails out of sight. Message * "Not all paths lead home" Cast * Ron Harper as Jack Marshall * Wesley Eure as Will Marshall * Kathy Coleman as Holly Marshall * Philip Paley as Cha-Ka * Rex Holman as Captain Ruben Van de Meer * Richard Kiel as Malak Dinosaurs * Grumpy * Torchy Trivia * Despite never having seen a telescope before, Cha-Ka is remarkably quick in discerning its purpose. He picks it up and immediately looks through it, without even considering other ways the strange device might be used. * Cha-Ka eludes Malak by instigating Grumpy to charge, forcing Malak to break off the pursuit. He also uses Grumpy this way in the episode Scarab, when, under the influence of the Scarab's bite, he lures Grumpy to attack the Marshalls. Category:Episodes Category:1974-1976 Episodes Category:Visitor Episodes